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Monday, January 6, 2014

This past December Lars featured some of his favorite pieces of furniture from his showroom at Miami's Iron Side event which was part of Art Basel Week, developer Ofer Mizrahi hosted legendary architect Ron Arad and toasted the premiere issue of Curated Living.

This past June Lars Bolander was featured as a Tastemaker on OneKingsLane.com and got a chance to hand pick his favorite items from their beautiful vintage home accessories collection.

This past January, Lars
Bolander, representing artist Nadine Kalachnikoff, and Christopher Leidy
featured a gallery at Art Palm Beach. The crowds turned out in droves -
familiar and new faces came to admire both side of the gallery- on one side,
Nadine's vibrant butterfly collages on canvas and on the other, Leidy's
spectacular underwater digital C-prints. Both artists spoke to the joys and
wonder of the natural world. The exhibit was a great success.

A book signing was hosted
by Lars Bolander and the West Palm Friends of Fisher House at the Lars
Bolander's showroom in December. Alex Papachristidis signed copies
of The Age of Elegance, which feature an array of his luxurious and
eclectic interiors. A percentage of the proceeds benefited the West Palm Beach
Friends of Fisher House, a non-profit that provides financial assistance
for housing, food and other amenities to veterans and their families.

This past October Lars Bolander and Nadine Kalachnikoff hosted the Butterfly Art Exhibition at the Dr.Remos Wellness Center Opening in Miami. 30 percent of the proceeds of all sales of the paintings was donated to the National Young Arts Foundation (NYAF).

Following his penchant for bringing together new and
old friends, Lars Bolander hosted another successful book signing in his design
studio. This time introducing Heiberg
& Cummings Design's White Light, published by the Monacelli
Press. The Manhattan-based design duo, Bernt Heiberg and Bill Cummings, pair a
Swedish minimalist aesthetic with playful elements to create highly livable
spaces. The book also reveals the designers' creative processes and
inspirations through image collages and essays - from entertaining to
cultivating specific craftsmen to photo journals of the adventures of Heiberg's
Jack Russell, Flink.

Friday, January 3, 2014

With 30+ years in the
interior design industry, I am often asked for my must-have's and go-to’s when
designing a space. Having worked on projects around the world across every sort
of design and architectural plans, I want to share my top 5 absolutes in
interior design.

1. LIGHTING

Lighting is
without a question the single most important thing in a room. Light has to be
exciting. And there are many ways to light a room to make the room cozy. With
beautifully designed lighting, you avoid stuffiness and overwhelming. Natural
light is also very important and a staple of Scandinavian design.

2. ANTIQUES

I always have
to be surrounded by antiques. I love the beauty of the pieces and the history
they hold. You wonder who could have been sitting in that old wooden chair or
looking at themselves behind that gilded mirror. Sleek, iconic mid-century antique
pieces are a staple of Scandinavian design and achieves an understated relaxed
elegance when placed in a room.

3. SWEDISH DESIGN
INFLUENCE

Swedish design is all about mixing humble with grand, traditional
and modern. A pale color palette is Scandinavian hallmark; blues, greens,
greys, whites, light airy colors have been used for years because they reflect
the natural Swedish light. In any room you go to, it will always feel
like summer, always bathed in beautiful natural light that is reflected in the
pale color palette of the room. Painted furniture, miniature floral print
fabrics, nice stripes or checkers in cotton or linen, and wood elements are
also quintessential Swedish elements that make a space inviting and
comfortable.

4. ART & BOOKS

Paintings
and books are very important and give a place a cozy feeling. I like it when
you can move things around and mix and match, and book are the perfect
accessory to subtly change a space. You can fill a wall with them, put stacks
of them on a table, or use as a stand to display an art piece. Art does not
need to be expensive. I very often put a few art pieces together
on one wall and leave the other walls empty. Makes more of
an impact.

4.CHAIRS

Chairs can transform a space from a cold, standing area to a
comfortable room you want to spend time in. Chairs are an invitation to sit and
enjoy. Placing chairs in the bedroom makes it personal and calm. Putting chairs
around the living areas also encourage movement, allowing you to constantly
redesign and rethink the space in accordance with what's happening at that
moment.